UACJ Corporation to invest in new manufacturing equipment to meet aluminium automotive components demand

UACJ Corporation has planned to invest about 3.6 billion yen (approximately 33.3 million US dollars) in new manufacturing equipment for two factories operated by its US-based subsidiary, UACJ Automotive Whitehall Industries. The investment is likely to meet brisk demand for aluminium automotive components.

The new equipment will start operating gradually from July 2021. The equipment will be used to manufacture automotive components, including front and rear bumpers, crush cans and structural members.

The company will install one extrusion press in a factory at the headquarters site in Michigan, and machining and assembly equipment at a new factory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

“In recent years, automakers in the United States have been reducing the weight of vehicles with the goals of improving fuel efficiency and cutting down on CO2 emissions in response to stricter environmental regulations. The country has also been adopting renewable energy sources and shifting to electric vehicles in order to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, with many states having set targets to achieve zero emissions by 2030 or 2035.”

“In that context, carbon neutral technologies are being promoted and electrification has been advancing in the auto industry. Since electric vehicles require relatively heavy lithium-ion batteries, however, automakers have been working to reduce overall vehicle weight to improve driving performance. As a result, lightweight aluminum components have attracted attention in the industry, UACJ Corporation said.

The UACJ Group will continue promoting the use of aluminium components in automobiles as it helps in reducing environmental impacts.